Hello all,
Today I spent the day down in the deep south between Southport and
Cockle Creek in southern Tasmania (about 100 km south of Hobart). I
didn't see a lot of birds and so spent more time taking landscape
photographs and looking at footprints.
At Catamaran (near Cockle Creek), I was surprised to see a pair of Pied
Oystercatchers feeding in closely mown lawn near Wood Ducks and Masked
Lapwings. The Masked Lapwings were intermittently attacking the
Oystercatchers, sometimes by charging and on one occasion by taking
flight and doing a short divebomb. The oystercatchers weren't deterred
though. They were probing deeply into the soft lawn of someone's front
yard. I thought they were probing for earthworms but on closer
examination of photos this evening the only item I can identify is a
kind of grub. I've seen South Island Pied Oystercatchers feeding like
this in New Zealand (on earthworms) but I've never seen our Pied
Oystercatchers doing it. I haven't put the photos on the website yet- I
might get them up tomorrow.
However, while driving through Dover (further north) about a half hour
later I drove past a group of 6 Pied Oystercatchers feeding in the same
way in lawn. Even more surprising to me was that there were 2 Sooty
Oystercatchers feeding in the same way! Unfortunately I wasn't able to
get photos of the Sooties feeding in the lawn. A car pulled up in front
of them at the wrong moment and all the Oystercatchers got spooked.
Cheers
Mick
--
____________
Michael Todd
Wildlifing- Images of Nature- www.wildlifing.com
Ranelagh, Tasmania
Latest Additions: Updated Australian Mammals Gallery
Mobile: o41o 123715
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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